Queensland Premier assures safety for Indians

London, Oct 11: Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has become the latest Australian politician to downplay the recent racial attacks on Indian students in Australia.

Bligh said Queensland had an "excellent track record" in providing international students with a safe environment.

"I speak from experience on this subject. 'My older son [Joseph Frances] very recently studied in India and, in turn, my family played host to two Indian students who came to Queensland to attend university," the Sydney morning herald quoted Bligh, who is on a trade visit to India, as saying.

"The key is to find a balance between protecting those young people who travel to Queensland to study and allowing them the opportunity to experience a new culture," she added.

Almost one-fifth of the 100,000 Indian students attend schools and universities in Queensland.

Recently, Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Victorian Premier John Brumby had issued similar assurances to Indian students.

"The issue of the safety of Indian students in Australia is still very much in the public mind here. It might take some time to restore a sense of confidence," Bligh said.